When Kaitlyn and Dave Barrette started looking for a summer camp for their daughter Zoey, they weren’t sure exactly where to start. A lot of the summer programming in their town was focused on athletics and sports, but those weren’t where Zoey’s interests lay.

“She was more interested in Disney and magic,” says Kaitlyn, “I wasn’t involved in theater when I was growing up, and so it wasn’t really on my radar. But when we went to shows at Northern Stage, she was so engaged. I felt that she would love these camps, and the fact that there were Disney-themed offerings was great.”

Northern Stage’s week-long summer and vacation camps help students build skills in teamwork, self-confidence, acting, and singing, with a focus on process rather than presentation. “Camps are often a kid’s first time being introduced to theater,” says Sam Empey, Co-Director of Education. “So we play games that introduce, for example, what is a stage direction, or how to move around on a stage. Students learn how to listen and how to work together.”

Since camps are usually only five days long, one challenge is getting to know students and understanding their different learning styles in such a short time. “We ask every student a question about themselves during the week and have a one-on-one conversation with them, even if it’s only a minute or two minutes long,” says Sam, “Just putting in the effort to learn something about them goes a long way. Kids want to be able to trust you, but you have to prove that you’re trustworthy to them.”

Zoey attended her first Northern Stage summer camp, Disney Villains, in 2024. “When she first went to camp, she was shy and not confident in singing and speaking in front of a crowd,” said Kaitlyn, “But she went every day and she loved it.” During the week, Zoey remained hesitant to sing in front of others, participating here and there but still unsure of herself. On the day of the performance, before they sang “Cruella De Vil,” Zoey went up to Sam and told him she was ready. Then she performed the whole number, dance moves and all.

“She really came out of her shell and she came to trust that we weren’t going to force her to do something that she was uncomfortable with,” says Sam, “We gave her an ever so gentle push to keep on trying it, even if it was uncomfortable in the moment. And that goes for all students – sometimes you need to push them out of their comfort zone so that they can grow and learn.”

When Zoey returned for another camp, she showed up excited to sing, dance, and meet new friends. “It’s been amazing watching her evolve as she’s done multiple camps over the years. She went from sometimes mouthing and whisper-singing, to singing more loudly but in a high-pitched falsetto voice. That’s when she really started finding her voice,” says Kaitlyn.

The following year, she performed the songs ‘Pure Imagination’ and ‘Believe.’ “It wasn’t until three days after the camp, when we were in the car, that the song came on and she said ‘Mom, I’m ready to show you my real voice.’ And she sang in her beautiful alto voice and she knew all the words. So that was a huge change, just her having the confidence to share that.”

Singing is still Zoey’s favorite thing to do: “We made a playlist of all the songs they were singing at camp so we could practice,” says Kaitlyn, “So every day on the drive, she would say which songs she wanted to practice, and we’d turn it up loud and roll down the windows and sing.”

Kaitlyn says she hopes other parents will consider sending their kids to camps at Northern Stage: “The whole culture of not competing, the culture of support for each other. The culture of anti-bullying, of accepting everyone. That’s not only what I was hoping for her to experience, but also the kind of person I want her to become”